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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. VAN NESS.

WIND WHEEL. No. 339,717. Patented Apr. 13, 1886.

w xv/W N. PETERS, PholoLilhugnpher. Washingtan. D.c.

(No Model.) I Sheets-Sheet 2. A. VAN NESS.

WIND WHEEL. No. 339,717. Patented Apr. 13, 1886.

WIN/E8858 INVE/VTOI? 4QQQMW wUlhognpher, Washington D. a

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT VAN NESS, OF TECUMSEH, NEBRASKA.

WlND-WH EEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,717, dated April 13, 1886. Application filed June 2!), 1885. Serial No. 170,136. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT VAN NEss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tecumseh, in the county of Johnson and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVind-lVheelmand I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in wind-wheels, and has for its object to so combine a water-elevator with the wind-wheel that the water-bucket will be automatically operated. It also has for its object to provide means for throwing the sails out of the wind. To attain these objects I employ the several constructions, combinations, and arrangements hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figures 1 and 2 are elevations of my wind-wheel, taken from opposite sides, the sails being shown as thrown out of the wind. Figs. 3 and 4 are de tail views showing the parts of the operating mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of the sails. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail sectional views showing the operation of the bucket.

The sails A may be of any desired shape. In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown the sails as trapezoidal, and in Fig. 5 as rectangular. Any number of sails may be used, although 1 have only shown six. They are supported on arms or axles B, radiating from the hub C, and connected by the braces D. The sails are connected by the links E E, which are pivoted to the sails. Two of the sails opposite each other have coiled springs F secured upon their axles. These coiled springs extend in opposite directions from the axle to which they are attached, and are connected at their other ends to the next adjacent sail. The sails to which the coiled springs are attached have ropes or chains G attached to them on the side opposite the spring. The ropes or chains pass over a pulley on the next sail of the series,and thence to the hub, passing over pulleys journaled in bearings cast upon the hub, and thence through the hub and back to the shifting collar H upon the wind-wheel shaft. A fork, I, fits into an annular groove in the collar H, and its shank I is bent back- 'ward and connected to the upper arm of the L-shaped lever J. The lever J is pivoted at its elbow or bend to a lug on the casting which supports the wind wheel-shaft,as shown. The lower arm of thelever J is pivotally connected to the end of a rod, K. This rod K is extended downward nearly to the top of the well-tubing, as shown. Its lower end is provided with a roller, is, which is engaged by a triangular frame, L, pivoted to the lever M. The lever M is pivote at one end toa lug or hearing on the mast, and is connected at its other end to the operating rod N, which extends to the ground.

By pulling on the operating-rod, it will be seen, by means of the system of straight and bent lovers, the sliding collar H will be drawn from the hub and the pull thereby communicated to the ropes or chains G, and through them to the sails,which will be thrown out of the wind.

O is the wind-wheel post or mast. It is journaled in the platform 0, and is provided with two or more rollers,O which run on the top of the tower Oi Secured to the top of the mast is the casting O, which supports the wind-wheel shaft P. The shaft P is held by the two clamps P P. A drum, Q, is placed loosely on the shaft, and has formed on one side and as a part of itself one half, Q, ofa clutch. An enlargement, Q, on the shaft P forms the other half of the clutch. Upon the side of the drum Q opposite the clutch Q, Q I secure the fans or governors R.

The clutch-half Q is provided with an annular groove, into which fits a fork, S, the shank of which is pivoted in the short vertical arm of the L-shaped lever S. This lever S is pivoted at its elbow toa lug on the casting O, as shown. The outer end of its long or horizontal arm is slightly enlarged and provided with an eye, through which is inserted the end of the rod T. The rod T is bent toward the mast, and enters a groove in the side of the mast just above the top of the tower. It is then bent downward again, and extends very an eye or loop formed on the upper end of the withdrawal.

rod V and down to the water-bucket.

The rod V extends downward to near the lower end of the rod T, and has pivotally secured to its end one end of thelever V. From the other end of the lever V is suspended a weight, V. The lever V is pivoted near its weighted end upon the support V secured to the side of the mast. Immediately over the pivot of the lever V, I form an offset, V, to which I pivot the pawl V The bucket supporting rope U passes through the platform 0 into the well-tubing W and enters the water-bucket. The welltubing is constructed with an enlargement or reservoir, W, which is provided with a spout, W". The well-tubing extends up into this reservoir through the bottom a short distance, as shown. 1

A rod, X, is inserted into the well-tubing through the platform 0, and is provided on its upper end with an eye or loop, X, which encircles the rod T between the two pins T T. The lower end of the rod X is bent slightly out toward the side of the well-tube, and has rigidly secured thereto the hollow conical block X".

To the lower end of the rope U is attached a rod, Y. This rod Y is provided with two lugs, 1 2, opposite each other, and at its lower end I provide the pin or stop 3. A trip-lever, Y, is pivoted upon the lug 2, and the end of a wire rod, Y, is inserted through the lug 1, and provided with a shoulder to prevent its The rod Y extends through a slot, Z in the cross-bar Z at the top of the bucket Z. .The trip-lever Y is provided on its lower end with a hook, which catches underthe cross-bar Z, and a roller, Y", is journaled in its upper end. The rod Y is connected to the valve Z and opens the same in the operation of my device.

, The operation of my device in raising and lowering the water-bucket is entirely automatic. Suppose the bucket to be in the position shown in Fig. 1. It hasjust been drawn by the revolution of the drum Q from the bottom of the well into the reservoir W, andis full of water. (For convenience, and to make the drawings clearer, I have shown the sails in Figs. 1 and 2 as thrown out of the wind; but it will be understood that they are supposed to be in the wind in this description of the operation of my machine.) When the bucket has been drawn up to the position shown in Fig. 1, the upper end of the triplever Y will strikethe inner inclined face of the conical block X ,l(see 'Fig. 6,) which will cause it to swing inward, thereby releasing its lower hooked end from the-crossbar Z. Theweight of the bucket and water contained therein will cause it to drop, as will be readily understood. The valve in the bottom of the bucket will by this action be opened, as the upper end of the rod Y will be held fast by the lug 1, and its lower end is attached to the valve. The descent of the bucket is checked by the cross-bar Z coming in contact with the pin or stop 3 on the lower end of the rod Y.

The water will flow out of the bucket through the chute Z*, which will guide it into the space between the upper end of the well tube and theinner side of the reservoir-wall. The water will pass out through the spout WV into any vessel which may have been placed to receive it. As the drum Q continues to revolve and elevate the bucket, which is now supported by the pin 8, the conical block X will be carried upward, causing the eye on the upper end to engage the pin T and thereby elevate the rod T. This action will cause the end of the horizontal arm of the lever S to swing upward, and consequently the vertical arm of the said lever will be moved outward, carrying with it the fork S, and thereby disengaging the clutch Q Q cause the drum to revolve in the direction opposite that in which it has been traveling, and the bucket will descend until the end of the strap U reaches the eye on the upper end of the rod V. The pawl V will engage the ratchet-bar T and hold the rod T up, thereby keeping the two parts of the clutch disengaged. The strap U, as it continues to descend, will push the rod V downward, which will cause the lever V to turn on its pivot, throwing the pawl V out of engagement with ratchetbar The weight of the bucket will now T, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3. The rod S will be supplemented and increased by the spring T, as will be readily understood.

The wire rod Y is held loosely in the lug or bearing 1, and thus allows the valve Z to open upward when it strikes the surface of the water in the well-tube. When the bucket is started upward, the weight of the water therein will close the valve, as will be understood.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the bucket will be automatically raised and lowered as long as the sails are in the wind. When the desired quantity of water has been drawn, the operationof the machine can be stopped by pulling down on the rod N. The motion thus given the rod N will be communicated to the collar H, which will be drawn along the wind-wheel shaft toout of the wind by means of will be readily understood.

The mast is journaled in the platform 0', and is supported on the wind-wheel tower by ,two rollers. This construction and arrangement allows the entire device to turn with the wind, so that the sails may be always turned with their faces toward the wind.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a wiud-wheel, the combination of the sails connected together by links flexibly attached to each sail, and coiled springs extending between and joining two adjacent sails, each two sails being on diaxnetric opposite sides of the wheel, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the sails linked together, coiled springs connecting the axle of the chains G, as

one sail with the adjacent sail to throw the sails in the wind, a cord secured to one sail, passed over a pulley on the opposite sail, and thence through and over a pulley in the hub of the wheel to a sliding collar on the wheelshaft, and mechanism, substantially as described, to shift said collar to throw the sails out of the wind, substantially as set forth.

3. In a wind-wheel, an elevating-drum sliding on the wind-wheel shaft, having secured to one side a fan or governor, and provided on its opposite side with a clutch-half, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a wind-wheel substantially as hereinbefore described, the combination of the drum, astrap attached thereto and having the bucketsupporting rope depending from it, the rod V, provided with an eye on its upper end encircling the bucket-supporting rope, and having attached to its lower end aweighted pawl-carrying lever, the rod '1, connected at its upper end to the clutch-shifting lever, and provided near its lower end with a ratchet-bar, T, all arranged and adapted to operate substantially as shown, and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT VAN NESS.

\Vitnesses:

W. C. J oLLY, O. H. SMITH. 

